Making Memories
by wanderingmindstravelfar
Summary: Imagine being in the midst of your own training at Kamar-Taj when Doctor Stephen Strange shows up. The Ancient One asks you to take him under your wing. You know you shouldn't be attracted to someone as tragically flawed and arrogant as him, and yet by some sick twist of fate, you seem to be perfect for one another. (Doctor Strange X Reader)
1. Chapter 1

"We have a new student joining us today," The Ancient One announces calmly at the end of meditation. "Everyone, this is Mister Stephen Strange," she introduces.

A tall, slightly unkempt man steps forward and gives an awkward wave. "It's _Doctor_ Stephen Strange, actually," he corrects. You can't help but roll your eyes from the back row. _Greeeat,_ you think to yourself. _This one's not only broken, but pretentious._

"Y/N," The Ancient One calls, startling you. "A word please. The rest of you are free to go."

With wide eyes, you obey, quickly scrambling to your feet from your cross-legged position on the floor. "Yes Master?" you step forward and inquire with respect.

"I'd like for Mister Strange to shadow you while he gets his bearings," she explains. "Show him around. Answer any questions he might have to the best of your ability."

You sneak a glance at the gentleman standing to your left. _This should be fun_ , you think sarcastically, eyeing him up and down. The last thing you needed was some fragile skeptic looking to you for answers.

"I'll do my best," you say in the most convincing voice you can manage.

"Thank you, Y/N," The Ancient One replies. "Oh, and- don't let him give you too much trouble," she adds discreetly with a hint of amusement in her expression.

You force a smile and nod. _What the hell is that supposed to mean?_

As The Ancient Once departs, you turn your attention to the newest addition of Kamar-Taj. If the implications made by The Sorcerer Supreme were any indication, he must have a difficult personality. Keeping him at arm's length seems like the best approach.

"Strange," you address him in a calm, detached tone. And before he can even open his mouth to reply, you firmly add- "I'm _not_ calling you 'Doctor'." And then you promptly turn on your heels and begin walking away. "Follow me," you call out behind you.

Stephen furrows his brow, a bit dumbstruck by your attitude. "Nice to meet you too," he remarks derisively. His voice is much deeper than expected. In fact, you'd never heard anything quite like it before.

"So where are we going?" he asks, striding up alongside you almost immediately. Your haste is no match for his long legs. _So much for feeling authoritative..._

"To the training grounds," you reply simply, and from there the two of you make your way across the compound in silence.

You stop off at the linen closet. It's a small room, lined floor to ceiling with shelves of traditional clothing in various colors and sizes. You turn and look at him to gauge his measurements and Stephen cocks his head in confusion.

"I thought we were going to train."

"We are. But first, we need to get you into appropriate attire."

You pull a set of generic white robes from the top shelf.

"Put these on," you order, holding the items out in front of him.

Stephen hesitates, his eyes meeting yours as if asking _"do I have to?"_

"It's the standard uniform of Kamar-Taj," you explain. "There's a changing stall down the hall past the laundry facilities. I'll be waiting outside."

When Stephen rejoins you in full attire, his discomfort is apparent. However, you can't help but admire the way the fabric hugs and elongates his lean, muscular form. You didn't have to like this guy, but he certainly had one of the nicest bodies you'd seen in awhile. _Not_ that you'd ever admit it out loud.

"Much better," you state matter-of-factly. "Now we can begin."

The training grounds were just around the corner, beyond a small set of stairs. It was a large exterior space, littered with a handful of students practicing various kinds martial arts.

You lead Stephen to a quiet space in the corner of the courtyard, tying up your hair in preparation for what was to come.

"Alright Strange, you may be a doctor, but I'm assuming you don't know the first thing about hand to hand combat."

"There's not much use for it in a medical setting," Stephen responds snarkily.

"Well that's about to change."

You throw a sudden and unexpected punch, making contact with one of his very prominent cheekbones.

Strange recoils, more out of surprise than pain. After all, you hadn't hit him terribly hard.

"What the hell was that for?!"

"One of the most basic human instincts is self-defense," you reply ambiguously. "You wanna tap in to your true spirit? Defend yourself Strange."

You begin circling him as a panther would its prey. Stephen keeps his eyes locked on you, anticipating your next move. And yet, he makes almost no effort to dodge the blow when you side kick him in the stomach.

"Ahh," Stephen grunts in frustration.

"What's wrong?" you ask, your voice laced with teasing amusement. "Afraid to hit a woman?"

Your words irritate him enough to make him swing at you in annoyance.

You block his ill-conceived punch with little effort, dancing around him light on your feet.

"You know, most people think fighting is all about strength and power," you explain breathlessly. "But they're wrong. All you need is precision. I'm sure that's something you can relate to in your line of work."

Stephen swings at you again, and this time, you duck down to avoid contact, spinning around with the intention of kicking his legs out from under him. However Strange catches you off-guard as he grabs you by your ponytail, winding your hair around his hand and pulling you into a choke hold with his other arm.

"Ah, so you're a strategist," you note aloud as he holds your body firmly against his own. "Maybe that brain of yours will come in handy after all, Strange."

He laughs, a deep rumbling snicker. "You know, there's a certain irony to complementing the mind of a neurosurgeon."

You elbow him in the stomach forcefully, escaping his grasp.

 _Neurosurgeon?_ Your body goes momentarily rigid. _Is this some kind of sick joke?_

Strange capitalizes on your hesitation, landing a satisfied punch to your jaw. You retaliate in kind, using your signature roundhouse kick and knocking him straight to the ground.

You rub the side of your face, regaining your composure and without a word, you walk over and offer your opponent a hand. Reluctantly, he accepts it and you help him to his feet. Stephen's fingers shake beneath your grasp, and you resist the urge to study his multitude of scars as you let go.

"That's enough for today," you declare. "Come on, I'll show you around."

* * *

"So how was his first day of training?" The Ancient One inquires with curiosity later that evening.

"It was fine," you reply vaguely, suppressing your irritation.

She looks at you with persistent eyes, coaxing an elaboration without so much as a word.

"Okay, why me?" you finally ask with an earnest sigh. "You could've asked anybody to look after Strange. Why did it have to be _me_?"

The Ancient One smiles lightly. "Balance," she responds, as if it were obvious. "Certain personalities- certain _energies_ \- counter one another more productively than others. I thought you would be an appropriate match for his boundless intellect. And to be perfectly honest, I think his stubbornness and persistence will ultimately aid you in your own journey towards self-healing."

"Really?" you retort, unconvinced. "So it has nothing to do with the fact that he's a _neurosurgeon_?"

The Ancient One remains perfectly collected. "As I said, I think the two of you can learn from one another."

"There is nothing to be learned from that man," you remark all-too-quickly.

Your master's eyes widen in disappointment. "That's an incredibly closed-minded attitude, Y/N. Every life has value that can be passed from one to another. Strange is no more broken than you were when you first arrived at Kamar-Taj. Have you forgotten everything I've taught you?"

You exhale deeply, regaining your composure. "No, I haven't," you admit in respectful defeat.


	2. Chapter 2

"Focus, Stephen," you coax with your eyes closed. The two of you are sitting cross-legged on the floor of the meditation room. Luckily there is no one else around to be disturbed by your frequent interjections. "Managing one's mental state is one of the highest forms of self-discipline."

"Yeah, yeah. I just don't see how sitting here thinking 'happy thoughts' and regulating my breathing is going to help my hands," he mutters in disbelief.

"You have absolutely no patience."

"I'm a doctor, I have plenty of patients."

You cringe inwardly at his terrible pun, and yet you can't help but smile to yourself in amusement.

"So you do have a sense of humor..." Stephen notes lightheartedly.

"I thought I told you to close your eyes, Strange!" you scold as your own eyelids shoot open and you are met with his entertained gaze. He studies your expression carefully, making you uncomfortable.

"Alright look, if you're not going to take this seriously-" you begin, about to stand up and leave.

"No, I am. I'm sorry," Stephen apologizes with a sneer. "Please continue."

You look at him skeptically but oblige. Time to try a new tactic.

"Hold out your hands."

Strange isn't too keen on the idea, but hesitantly obeys.

You reach out gently and grasp his fingers, steadying them.

"Now look at your hands and tell me what you see."

Strange studies his extremities with an irrepressible disgust upon his face. "Scars, tissue damage, weakness…"

You shake your head in disagreement. "You're thinking one-dimensionally," you criticize. "Beyond what's merely visible- what do you _see_?"

Stephen looks at you with ridicule. "That doesn't make any sense, how can I _see_ something that isn't visible?"

You roll your eyes. "Do you want to know what I see?"

Stephen doesn't say anything, but patiently awaits your analysis.

You look at his hands, running your thumbs along the scars on his fingers. "I see history and experience. Change and adversity. Your hands are more than just physical tools, Strange. I want you to remember what it felt like to have complete control over them. Imagine the steadiness you had in the operating room. The ease with which you were able to move without thinking… What did it feel like?"

"It felt… natural." His voice becomes strained at the memory. "It felt powerful. Cutting into flesh and manipulating the human body on a micro scale… knowing I had complete authority over myself and my patient." He exhales. "God I miss that."

Very slowly, you let go of the doctor's hands. They were still shaking of course, but the tremors had visibly diminished.

"You see, Strange? The mind is more powerful than you think. Meditation is one of the highest forms of self-discipline."

Stephen furrows his brow and looks at you funny. "You said that already."

 _Shit_ , you inhale sharply, chastising yourself and quickly losing focus. "Right, sorry. Why don't we take a break."

"But-"

"We'll continue this afternoon," you reply hastily, already halfway to the door.

* * *

 _Hours later..._

"There you are." It was Stephen's voice. "I've been looking everywhere for you."

You sigh disappointedly, dropping the pen you'd been making notes with. A part of you wishes you'd never shown him this place. The library had always been your sanctuary- your escape. Aside from Wong, who thankfully wasn't talkative, you could always rest easy in the library. Until now that is.

"Did you need something Strange?" you ask in the calmest voice manageable.

Much to your horror, he slides into the seat directly across from you, making himself at home.

"Not particularly, no. But it is mid-afternoon and the training grounds are fairly empty…"

"I'm taking the rest of the day off," you announce casually.

 _You can do that?_ Stephen wonders, raising a curious eyebrow. "And here I thought you'd be thrilled at the chance to punch me in the face again…"

"Believe me, it's tempting."

Stephen smirks, pleased that he is beginning to make sense of you. "Alright… well, what am I supposed to do?"

"Look, Strange, I didn't come to Kamar-Taj to be a babysitter. And you're a _doctor_ as you so frequently like to remind everyone. Go find some way to pass the time!"

You return your attention to the open book before you, but you can feel Stephen's eyes looming.

"You really don't like me, do you?" he asks, though it was more of a statement than a question.

"Excuse me?"

"You're the only person here who hasn't told me what an ass I am to my face- but you clearly think it, which makes me wonder if you don't hate me the most of anyone."

"I don't _hate_ you Stephen," you answer honestly. "I just- prefer to be alone."

"Why is that?"

"I'm comfortable that way, okay!" you exclaim defensively.

"And people say I'm disagreeable..."

"You don't know anything about me," you snap, tensing your jaw in frustration.

"I know you haven't been here long."

You cross your arms defensively. "And how's that?" you ask, humoring him.

"The Ancient One uses no title when addressing you, just your name- Y/N. Either you're no good at what you do, or you simply haven't been here long enough to work your way through the ranks. And your attitude well, that's another story entirely. You clearly have trust issues- probably stemming from some childhood trauma- which is why you push everyone around you away."

"Wow," you say with unamused sarcasm as you gather your books and prepare to leave. "Regular Sherlock Holmes, you are..."

"Oh please," Stephen sneers. "It doesn't take a genius to see what's right before him."

"That's ironic coming from you Strange- the man with an ego so big that he can't see past his own nose."

You stare into his blue eyes angrily for a couple of tense seconds before turning away and storming off in disgust.

Stephen's intense gaze follows you all the way out of the library before shifting sideways when he senses another presence. Wong stands inconspicuously on the opposite side of the stacks, unmoving. He'd clearly overheard the whole thing.

" _What_?" Strange asks innocuously.

Wong simply shakes his head in disapproval before returning to his work.

* * *

In his boredom, Stephen seeks out Mordo to practice some hand to hand combat.

"So where's Y/N?" he asks as Strange wrestles with putting on his wrist guards.

"She's not speaking to me right now."

Mordo shakes his head and snickers knowingly. "Oh Strange, when are you going to learn to hold your tongue?"

"Oh, you just assume it's _my_ fault?"

"Am I wrong?"

Stephen's eyes shift downward. "So what's Y/N's story anyway?" he asks, changing the subject.

"It's really not my place to tell," Mordo replies, looking up as he finishes tying his boots.

"Oh come on-" Stephen objects. "What malintent could I possibly have with that information?"

Mordo gives it some consideration before continuing.

"She was orphaned as a child," he explains. "Bounced from family to family, but ultimately to no avail."

"Unfortunate, but not terribly unusual," Stephen remarks, expecting something more.

Mordo pauses, giving Stephen a disapproving look. "Despite the unfavorable circumstances, Y/N attended university and rose to the top of her field."

"Which was?"

"(insert an area of study that interests you)."

"-and?" Stephen prompts.

Mordo hesitates, not feeling quite right about sharing the intimate details someone else's past. But he hoped, perhaps naively, that the information would help Strange begin see outside himself. "Two years ago she suffered a brain aneurysm. There were- complications, which led to short term memory loss."

Stephen's expression changes, but remains difficult to read.

"All she can remember is a past that she wants desperately to forget," Mordo says poetically, the compassion evident in his voice.

"Is it chronic or acute?" Strange asks, quickly slipping into full-on medical mode.

"I don't know the details," Mordo admits. "You're intrigued by her Stephen. I can see it in your eyes. But don't let your persistence push her away. The last thing you need within these walls is an enemy."

* * *

 _A/N: Hey guys, thanks for reading! There will be a few more chapters of build up that more or less follow the plot of the movie, only with YOU added into the mix! The romance will come, I promise :)_


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